Applied Computing wants to give oil and gas operators an AI model for the entire plant

Applied Computing, a London-based startup pioneering AI solutions for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, has successfully secured $20 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was led by engineering powerhouse KBR, with Databricks Ventures also contributing. Launched in 2023, this innovative startup aims to address the complexities of data management within oil and gas facilities, which can contain thousands of sensors monitoring various parameters such as temperature, pressure, and viscosity. Despite the vast amounts of data generated, operators often rely on a mere fraction—less than 8%—of the available information to make critical operational decisions. According to Callum Adamson, co-founder and CEO of Applied Computing, the challenge lies in integrating data from multiple sources, including sensor readings, engineering documents, and chemical principles, in a timely manner for effective analysis and predictive insights. The company's flagship product, Orbital, distinguishes itself from traditional large language models by incorporating a time series model, a physics-based model, and a language model to provide real-time predictions about facility operations. Orbital not only analyzes sensor data but also considers the physical and chemical dynamics of the facility, allowing technicians to simulate the impact of changes in one area on overall operations. With a promise of rapid insights, Orbital can identify anomalies, trace their causes, and evaluate the implications of proposed solutions, all in a matter of minutes. Adamson asserts that this technology can significantly shorten investigation times, turning processes that once took days or weeks into mere seconds, thus enabling operators to optimize energy consumption while maintaining productivity. The startup's rapid growth has been notable, transitioning from stealth mode to achieving double-digit millions in annual recurring revenue in less than 18 months. Orbital is already in use among several large, publicly traded companies in upstream oil and gas, refining, and petrochemicals, although Adamson has withheld specific customer details. Partnerships with Wipro, an Indian energy firm, and KBR, which has integrated Orbital into its INSITE 3.0 digital platform, have further solidified its market position. However, Applied Computing is entering a competitive space dominated by established industrial software firms and specialized AI startups. Companies like AspenTech and AVEVA offer robust simulation and AI-powered modeling solutions, while Cognite and Seeq focus on the data layer for industrial analytics. Adamson emphasizes that the company’s advantage lies not only in its access to industrial data but in its ability to attract top-tier AI researchers to develop competitive models. As part of its growth strategy, Applied Computing plans to utilize the new funding to expand its international footprint, recruit for research and engineering positions, and deepen its partnerships within the energy sector. Recently, the company opened a new office in Houston, complementing its headquarters in London and operational base in Bengaluru, aiming to strengthen ties with existing North American clients and explore opportunities in the Middle East.